After the Fall
by Madhumalati
Summary: Post Gaiden speculation, xxxHOLiC crossover. Anything can be granted for a price, even if it contradicts Heaven's edict: but the price is never less than the gain. Implied KonzenGoku and 10K.


_**After the fall**_

A/N: one theory on how they met again. And an explanation of why Sanzo and Goku's bond is much more…deep and instinctive than Konzen and Goku. And the calling.

* * *

There was a house. It was nestled firmly and awkwardly at once between two high buildings made of a material he'd never seen before, but he'd heard of the place he sought and here he was, finally. He felt a strange compulsion seize him as he walked through the gates, drawing him in, over and beyond his own will, and he shook the spell off.

If he was walking in there, if he was doing this, he wanted it to be of his own will.

The wish granter met him inside, all long black hair and mysterious eyes. 'Welcome,' she said in a low compelling voice. Her eyes flicked past him to the paper screens. 'Others come.'

And it was no surprise at all really to see the other two (not three, though, just two) walking through the gate, caught by the same spell he was, brought in on its impetus. They nodded to each other, and it was not surprising, despite the fact that they'd all been killed less than an hour ago, and this world was clearly not theirs, and the decree of Heaven had said specifically that they would never meet again, despite the fact that even now, Heaven's decree forbade them to speak to each other. Not surprising, because at a deep level, Tenpou had never quite understood that they would part; it seemed entirely too right to stand with these men, and with the one who was missing, to never do it again.

No, he corrected himself firmly. He would stand with them again.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

'It's not everyday three fallen gods seek you out,' Yuuko said, finger tapping against lip. 'I am the Dimensional Witch. You may call me Ichihara Yuuko. I also grant wishes, and you have a wish, each of you.'

'Yes,' Kenren replied, and Tenpou echoed him. Konzen nodded reluctantly.

'For every wish, there is a price,' the Dimensional Witch said, looking hard and deep at each of them. 'For every gain, there must be an equal loss. Without that, there is nothing.'

Tenpou nodded, a grim little nod. He'd already guessed. 'Equivalent exchange.'

Her eyes flickered to his approvingly. 'Exactly. If you are willing to pay the price, ' she cautioned. 'The price could be small or heavy, depending on your wish. It could even be your very soul.'

She looked at each of the men, the strategist, the fighter and the guardian. There was hard resolution on each of their faces. 'Very well. State your wish.'

They looked at each other instinctively, trying to decide who would go first. Tenpou stepped forward, ever the reckless one. 'I wish to meet the others again.'

'A heavy price will be required for that wish,' Yuuko told him, chewing down her smile. This was serious business. 'It will be exacted from you in the lifetime that you choose to meet them again.' He nodded tightly. 'Someone you love more than life itself will die before your eyes while you are helpless to prevent it.'

She saw the way his eyes turned instinctively to the general's, almost afraid, and smiled. 'The price will be paid before the wish is granted,' she told him, adding that information to his price in her mind as the relief spread across his face. 'You will lose that person, and you will avenge that person; and you will become something you hate. This is the price you will pay.'

'I accept,' he said flatly.

'The price would be lower if it was just one person you wished to meet again,' she commented almost idly, and watched as the flicker of slowly dawning horror spread across the man's face. Such a pretty face, she mused. A pity she had to do this to him, but in a wish, there could be no hidden layers. If he wished to meet all of them, or one, the wish would grant it.

And he owed her that moment of trauma in return for that free information.

'All of them,' he repeated, even more emotionless.

Kenren was the next one to ask. His wish was the same, and he was already wincing from the price that he knew he would pay. But he was a different person, and the price for him was different; Yuuko offered him no sympathy as she named it. 'You will be outcast. You will hurt everyone you touch, everyone who comes close to you, and be hurt by them in turn. You will lose everyone who cared for you, even a little. This is your price.'

He agreed, lips pressed tight against words he wanted to say.

Finally, it was Konzen's turn. 'I want to meet them again,' he said.

'You will lose someone you love, will have to watch them die before you and be helpless to change it. And when the time comes, you will give up the right to avenge that person to someone else. This is your price.'

'Fine,' he snapped.

'Your wish will be granted,' she said. 'You will meet again.'

She paused, and then continued. 'But there is another thing. The boy. Goku.'

'What of him?' Konzen said.

'He is sealed away, beyond even my power. Even I cannot resist the combined might of Heaven.'

'So?'

'There will be another price,' she said. 'A price that must be paid for him to be freed. Until he is taken out of Heaven's jurisdiction and brought into my own I will be unable to fulfil these wishes, since they are bound so close together.'

'I'll pay,' Konzen said immediately.

'You will be bound to him. Forever. His life and heart will be linked with yours. If you fail, he dies. If you ever fail him, he dies, and so do you. The conditions of his freedom are to be bound to you. Should either of you fail that bond, you will fall.'

'I accept,' he ground out.

'Are you that certain of his loyalty?' she probed. 'What if he chooses to leave you?'

Violet eyes turned away. 'Damn monkey won't leave me even if he's paid to anyway,' he muttered.

'Your wish is granted,' she said simply. Not her usual style, but these men were in no mood for elaborate ritual and she knew it.

'Thank you,' Tenpou replied, ever polite. Kenren nodded in silent agreement, and Konzen only huffed, but she could recognise it for what it was. She had some experience with Watanuki, after all.

She knew they would have wanted to speak to each other, make some farewell, but the time for that was over. The limbo called, and the wait to be reborn. Their spirits – because that was all they had been – were already fading, and Yuuko watched until their presence had left her room and sighed.

'A harsh price,' she said aloud to the empty space. 'But a dangerous wish as well.'

The debt that lay upon them was a harsh one, unnecessarily harsh. The laws of the Heaven of their world were no doubt uglier than hers. But she had done what she could. The rest of the debt was up to them to pay, in blood and pain.

Everything will be all right, Clow would have said. And maybe that was a lie, because Yuuko had seen centuries of people with whom everything was most decidedly _not _all right; but there was hope, she had given them hope, and hope was a powerful thing, a talisman against evil, and there was power in them that grew when they were together.

It would be enough.

It had to be.

A/N: and if you know the dialogue of the first ep of TRC, the beginning will make that much more sense.


End file.
